


Chamomile Tea and Honey

by TheDarkFlygon



Series: Beyond Infinity's Hand - TachiHaru [2]
Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Gestures, Self-Indulgent, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28463532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkFlygon/pseuds/TheDarkFlygon
Summary: He wonders why she's been so patient with him when all he's doing is spending the day in bed, sitting in his own sickness. Good thing she also has questions for him to ask instead.
Relationships: Otonashi Haruna/Tachimukai Yuuki
Series: Beyond Infinity's Hand - TachiHaru [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1232501
Kudos: 2





	Chamomile Tea and Honey

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason, I really wanted my last story of 2020 (it's literally 11:50PM here) to be about TachiHaru. There's just something about them that I can't get out of my head lately. It may be because I've been obsessed with Inazuma lately, it may have been feeling like loving them more than I love myself, it could be both. They live in my head and heart rent-free. Always have and, I suppose, always will.  
> I really need to fill their tag with more stories. I'll protect the hill I'll most likely die on.
> 
> Oh, also: this story was written with my InaCafé AU settings in mind, so everyone here is in college and all. It also technically takes place after some events which are alluded to inside the story. I don't think you need a big-ass info dump for those, but in case someone is curious, I absolutely plan on writing these parts into a separate story. It'll just take... a while to get there lmao.  
> Anyway, Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2021 won't be as batshit crazy and terrible as 2020 was.

It’s been a long day, to say the least. It’s bound to feel that way when you’ve spent all said day in your room, watching the rain crash onto your window, listening to the sound of the weather and whatever noise your roommate makes next door even if he’s trying to be as quiet as possible.

Or, at least, that’s what he _expected_ to feel like when he realized he’d be bedridden for the day; but his friends had other plans in store for him that he didn’t know about.

He should’ve known that his flatmate wouldn’t see it the same way. Tsunami is someone who deeply understands how misery needs company, mostly because he can’t stand feelings of loneliness and isolation; so, in his great kindness, he took care of what he must have seen like a true punishment bestowed upon his best friend.

Truth be told, despite the tone he’s currently thinking in (which is mostly due to how awful he’s been feeling over a few days – never let your colds fester), he’s more than thankful for Tsunami’s very existence. The man has helped him through some of the worst moments of his life and, unlike him, never gave up on him no matter how bad it got, even when he was broke and barely able to maintain his livelihood through loopholes in his parents’ financial systems. There’s no denying Tsunami has done so much for him that he couldn’t possibly object to any of it.

He didn’t expect _her_ to stay all day, though.

It’s not even that he doesn’t give Otonashi credits for her kindness or anything: he just knows she isn’t the most patient student in the university. She loves to dash into things and get situations resolved as quick as possible but, unlike her brother, she won’t wait around for a better solution than the one she has at hand, even if she needs to fix some things here and there later down the line. In short, she’s not the kind to stay in one place if she could avoid it – to her credit, it’s not something he’d ever consider a flaw – and, to him, she’s the kind to get a little heated up over feeling helpless.

That’s why he’s so surprised that she’s stayed around the place for so long, even if it must have been the most boring day of her life because, really, what is there to do around here, especially in his room? It’s not like he has a ton of things in there to keep her busy and moving or anything. It doesn’t mean it isn’t a good surprise or, as far as he knows, the best thing to happen to him in a while.

“You’re not… bored, right?” He asks her as she’s sitting next to his bed, scrolling on her phone.

She clicks her tongue as she rises her face from the screen, looking displeased with his remark.

“How many times do I have to tell you that, Tachimukai? I do, not, mind.”

Okay, to be fair, he’s asked her about this _at least_ twice. He’s probably the one getting bored, at this rate. The fact he can’t really remember for sure what he’s told during the day is a bit scary.

“I mean… you can leave if you want, Otonashi. I…” He coughs into his fist. He did try to wear a mask, when Tsunami told her she’d be here to keep an eye over him, but she didn’t listen and decided she needed to wear one instead. It’s kind of illogical considering he’s the one who’s ill here, but, well… He can’t say no to her.

He’s never been able to, in fact.

It could because their personalities are just like that. Otonashi is loud, extraverted and tends to ask around and probe into things when she has questions while he’s usually more reserved and quieter ( _usually_ ) and avoids conflict as much as possible. She speaks her mind out, he tends to keep a lot to himself, mostly by fear of being annoying to the people around him.

They’re like the sun and the moon, when he thinks about it. She shines brightly in the sky, illuminating everything around her, while he mostly basks in this light and is his brightest when she’s close to him; but he fears he could eclipse her out if he isn’t careful enough. Tsunami has told him he could never do such a thing, but really, who knows what could happen? He’s been noted to sometimes have outbursts when he’s got his mind onto something.

“I know, I know,” she tells him before he can finish his sentence, “you don’t want to waste my time and you don’t want to bother me. I know. You’ve told me that already, so many times that I’ve lost count, for even less than this. I still hope you’ll one day understand you’ll never be a burden to me.”

“Ah, sorry for that…” His throat keeps bothering him, but he’s taken a spoon of that disgustingly sweet syrup not too long ago already. “I guess I’m just… concerned you’re feeling forced into this?”

She sighs, her shoulders dropping back to their usual level, pouting with half-closed eyes.

“If I had felt forced into this, I’d have left the first time you asked me if I wasn’t tired of being here. Tsunami didn’t force me into this, you know.”

In all truth, she’s right there: his flatmate only called her, as far as he knows, and she accepted. The only reason why Tsunami even resorted to having Otonashi handle this instead of him is because he had ann important seminary to attend to and, well, had to replace him at the café considering he wasn’t going to handle much with trembling hands and legs heavier than concrete. He’ll have to pay him back later down the line, but for now, he’s pretty sure that if he even attempts to get up from bed, Otonashi will just smack him back in there.

As brash as she can sometimes get, her intentions are always good and genuine. So far, she hasn’t lost her patience even once despite the circumstances and being urgently called in this morning by Tsunami and despite how annoying he must be with all of his questions and doubts. It’s not that he actually doubts her, it’s that… It’s on his end. He’s the issue here, not her. He just needs to get over himself and appreciate her efforts and care as much as he should.

The sound of the boiler next door prompts the both of them to rise their heads.

“I’ll be right back,” she says as she gets up from her chair.

She quickly makes her way out of the door as he’s left to just stare at the ceiling once more. Well, it’s at least a good opportunity to let that urge to cough he’s had for a little while, so don’t mind him if he does. He’d rather cough up all that green substance while she’s away from him, because this is genuinely gross. She one hundred percent doesn’t want to see what’s in the tissue he’s throwing into the bin on the other side of the bed… or rather, he doesn’t want her to see it because he thinks it’s disgusting. Maybe she doesn’t mind as much?

What is he thinking? Nobody wants to see someone else’s respiratory tract infection pus. You’d just tolerate this sort of things when taking care of someone. If he can spare her at least that, he’ll be a little happier.

Before his thoughts can delve back into the sad miasma they tend to transform into when he’s left all alone with nothing to do for too long, Otonashi comes back into the room, a trail with two cups in one hand, the other closing the door behind her. She sits back down, putting the tray on the nightstand that he messily uncluttered earlier.

“I hope you don’t mind me borrowing one of your mugs and some water for myself. I really felt like getting a drink too!”

He glances at the cups she’s picked. The one with the bag of chamomile tea is obviously is, considering Otonashi gifted it to him for his birthday two months ago, but the other is… It’s blue, it’s got Hawaiian flower motifs all over it…

“That one is actually Tsunami’s,” he comments with a chuckle (and coughing, of course).

Considering how surprised she just got, she apparently had no idea.

“You think he’ll mind if I borrow it…? I’ll clean it thoroughly before he comes home, I promise!”

“On some mornings we accidentally borrow each other’s cups, so I really don’t think he’ll be bothered if you drank in one of his…”

She sighs in relief, almost dramatically so.

“I’m saved then!”

Sure enough, she gives him the cup with the chamomile tea bag (he’d recognize that tag from a kilometre away: he’s drank enough of it during times like those that he’s wondering how he hasn’t gotten sick of that specific brand and flavour yet).

“I haven’t been over enough to tell which mug belonged to whom, so I picked the safest bet. Also, Tsunami told me about the fact you’ve always had that specific tea when you’re feeling ill. I hope I made the right decisions. Ah, and you know how you always hear about honey being good for the throat? I may have put a little too much of it in there.”

She chuckles, seemingly from embarrassment. Seeing her finally genuinely smile, even over something so simple, is a nice feeling to have.

“I’d have probably done the same, to be honest.”

For a bit, they’re both silent, blowing on a cup of hot water or drinking from it, slowly. He doesn’t dare tell her the tea she’s picked also belongs to Tsunami, mostly because he never drinks it – and prefers energy drinks to keep himself awake during long paper writing nights anyway – so it wouldn’t be an issue whatsoever, and also because she looks like she’s having a nice time drinking it. It’s already pouring outside; he wouldn’t want to also rain on her parade.

The sound of the pouring rain taps against the window in an almost harmonious way. It reminds me of the sick days he’d spend back in Fukuoka, buried under his bedsheets and with a thermic bottle of tea or hot chocolate on his nightstand, listening to the rain as he tried to fall back asleep. It’s a weird feeling: he should probably feel more negative that that about it, considering he’d feel miserable and lonely whenever that exact situation happened; yet the soothing song of the downpour keeps his mind from feeling bitter.

“I’m wondering about something,” Otonashi suddenly breaks the silence, covering the sound of the rain for a couple of seconds, her eyes still fixated on her cup of tea. “Why is it that you never want anyone to help or worry?” Her shoulders lower as he stiffens yet another coughing fit. “It’s not the first time and I don’t think it’ll be the last so – please, tell me. I want to know.”

He gulps, no matter how painful it is. He knew it was coming eventually, of course, especially considering their shared history… and yet, he’s got nothing to reply to her with. Too bad.

“I… I don’t really know, actually. I’ve just always been like this. I guess I figured, long ago, that if my parents didn’t want to take care of me, then nobody would. I know that’s wrong, thanks to people like Tsunami and you, but… it’s stuck to my skin. I can’t get rid of the feeling, even if I try.”

She doesn’t say anything for a while, instead silently stares with eyes wide open. Her breath shudders.

“Wait, you mean… There was _nobody_ to take care of you when you were sick, back then?”

“Not exactly… The people in the dorm knew and understood I shouldn’t be sent home because there’d be nobody there except for me, but when the dorm was closed for the holidays, I was on my own. It wasn’t all too bad, usually, but…”

“…but there was the time where I found you, back in high school, right?”

“Yeah, pretty much. I think that was the first time I couldn’t tell if someone was forced to do that for me. I was confused, actually.” He finds himself chuckling at this, as if it were just another high school memory like Tsunami and Norika exchange all the time. Truth be told, he isn’t exactly sure of what amuses him so much about this, but he’d pin the blame on the warmth the few shards of memory he has of the events have brought him. “You didn’t have to do any of what you did. Nobody asked you to. I can remember you asking Kidou’s butler for help and convincing your brother to let me stay at the place you were staying in. If I hadn’t been knocked out, I’d have felt like a party crasher.”

“You’ve never been a party crasher, silly.”

Her giggle, her _genuine and amused_ giggle, warms him up a little despite the chills dancing along his skin. He wouldn’t go as far as to say he’d die for it, but… he’d probably be willing to endure the re-education he’s gone through already if it meant doing something for her. He believes he could also burst in red flames soon because she’s _holding his hand in hers_ and he _wasn’t ready for it_.

“I’m glad I get to be the one who goes against that today, then! Finding you delirious in that convenience store terrified me, but we’re both still here, and… I think that’s all I need. You don’t have to ask me if I’m bothered to be here or if I’m bored. Being with you is already enough.”

Otonashi then proceeds to crumble in laughter, her mask not even able to hide how much she’s blushing. She buries herself her hands and, to be honest, he’s tempted to do so too, considering the blood that’s currently rising to his head clearly isn’t from his fever.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry that was so corny of me – I didn’t want to put it like that. I… That sounded so cheesy, I can’t deal with this, I…”

“I…” He’s still a bit speechless. “I really liked that, though.”

She rises her head from her hands, still red all over, her glasses on the verge of falling from her nose.

“You don’t have to tell me that to make me happy or anything, you know, Tachimukai. Actually, it’d be best if you just forgot about what I said! Y-yeah, nothing happened, you can forget it!”

“I’m saying that honestly!” Woops, there goes his throat again. “It… It made me happy to hear it.”

Her sudden burst of nervousness melts away.

“I think I should let you rest; your voice is starting to sound worse again… Need me to fetch you something?”

“Ah, no, not really…” He eyes his laptop, which has been out of his reach all day, diligently sitting on his desk (because Tsunami didn’t want him to even _think_ about working on anything today). “Actually, maybe we could… huh…”

“We could always watch a little something, you mean? I like the idea.”

She gets up once more to retrieve the laptop, handing it to him.

“I’m fine with whatever you feel like watching,” she says as she watches him turn it on and insert his password, soon opening a browser tab.

“Let’s see what’s in my recommended then…”

She puts her head on his shoulder as he lies back in his pillow and the both of them slip in the comforting blanket of domestic serenity.


End file.
